Sleeping Buttefly
by GaleSynch
Summary: AU: What was supposed to an easy sentry shift for Senju Naruto turned into something much more complicated when he meets Konoha's jinchuriki, Uchiha Sasuke. Semi-powerful Mokuton Naruto and Jinchuriki!Foxy!Fem!Sasuke. Genderbent!Itachi and Sasuke. Fem!Itachi/Menma (Naruto). Fem!Sasuke/Naruto. NaruSasu/FemSasu.


D**ISCL**A**I**M**E**R**: I O**W**_N_** N**O**T**HI**NG!

* * *

**Sleeping Butterfly**

_written by GaleSynch_

**First Arc: Genin.**

**Prologue: Pain.**

Five-year-old Uchiha Itachi gazed at the destruction, at the waving nine tails in the horizon with wide eyes.

If it wasn't for the fact that she would be dying, or her village would crumble tonight, she would've been in awe at the creature that was currently ravaging her village. The killing intent and fear radiating from the Kyuubi was enough to stun the small Uchiha, rooting her to the ground.

She trembled in fear, her hold on the infant in her arms loosening and she probably would've dropped the baby if someone had placed a firm grip on her shoulder, drawing her back to the present.

Intricate designs of a pinwheel swirled in the old man's bright red eyes, despite his age of over eighty, his eyes were clear and bright unlike many of those his age. Her great-grandfather looked as grim as always, but this time, there was some sort of cruel amusement in his eyes as he drew her away from the courtyard of their house.

"Where are Mother and Father?" Itachi dared to ask once they were merged with the sea of Uchiha civilians and children and elderly, all being herded to the safe house for emergency times. She tugged, hard, on her ancestor's hand and he glared down at her.

"Shut up, child, you'll see them soon enough."

Itachi refrained from pouting or scowling up at her great-grandfather; this attitude was one she was used to even after five years since they met—and she doubted he knew her name. Uchiha Madara had always been a bitter and grim old man as far as she was concerned, quiet and was more often than not angry and cold. Itach didn't think she'd miss the guy he used to be.

She was told he was even worse in his youth and it was a pity he hadn't died sooner.

Itachi also knew about how much her clansmen disliked—feared—her great-grandfather for his past misdeeds, and because of him, her entire lineage took the fall. Many were apprehensive to let Madara's line to continue ruling but seeing as they were still the strongest Uchiha among the clan, they were still granted the position.

She thought it was stupid to still be afraid of Madara who already had one foot into his grave, but her clansmen still feared him and thus, Itachi and her great-grandfather got a very wide berth and was allowed to go into the safe house first.

"Girl, leave that child."

Itachi stared at the old man incredulously. "The baby you mean?" She got a glare for her efforts. "No," she said firmly, nestling the blonde infant closer to her chest. "He's staying."

"I will not tolerate a Senju child in an Uchiha safe-house, leave him."

"Just until his brother or parents come, _Sou-sofu_, please."

It was a well-kept secret that Madara had something akin to a soft spot for his _himago-musume_ though many suspected it was because she looked like his younger brother. He glared at the Senju child, like he was contemplating ripping the infant out of the girl's grasp and chucking him out. "Suit yourself," he conceded stiffly, miffed that he had been ignored and couldn't just stand and watch the bloodshed as this village took the fall for the Kyuubi's grudge against him.

Many Uchiha shared the same thoughts, glaring at him openly.

One of the men herding the Uchiha civvies (and the number was disgusting) into the safe-house glared at him, daring to speak. "This is all your fault," Uchiha Setsuna muttered sourly. "If you hadn't picked a fight with the Kyuubi..."

"I would've loved to go out and bring the demon to its knees," Madara responded scathingly, sneering. "Unfortunately, I could barely move around without assistance and you wouldn't send a helpless old man to battle would you?"

Itachi coughed; one of her first lessons in life was to never ever underestimate _Sou-sofu_ Madara or she'd be regretting it. This guy, whoever he was, was dead when he challenged Madara like that. Though she agreed with his next statement though, that Madara was never truly helpless even in age. He may not be able to fight anymore but his genjutsu was still the best in the whole world.

"Do you have something to say, Itachi?"

It was to her credit she showed no emotion.

"No, _Sou-sofu_."

Itachi cradled the infant in her arms, trying to get the baby to stop crying lest her great-grandfather truly kicked Naruto out. "Shh," she repeated in hopes of shutting the infant up but it only served to make him cry harder. She grimaced slightly when Madara's piercing Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan zeroed in on them. "I don't know why he's crying, _Sou-sofu_..." she said, trailing off and looking expectantly at Madara; best to

"He's hungry, you nitwit, get him something to shut him up."

"I don't have milk."

Itachi was pretty sure the following sound was of Madara grounding his teeth together in annoyance. "Then get him to that woman," he jerked his head to where Itachi saw a woman cradling an infant of her own and letting the baby suckle her breast for milk. "She'll feed him."

There were a tons of question Itachi wanted to fire back but seeing Madara's glare, she merely sauntered towards said woman. When she got closer, Itachi instantly recognized her as Aunt Misaka—her half-cousin who was her grandfather's half-daughter's daughter—and felt a measure of relief, if it was Aunt Misaka, she would definitely lend a hand.

As she'd expected, Misaka did help, was very glad to help in fact. All she requested: for Itachi to sit by her side instead of where their shared great-grandfather was sitting.

"Why?" Itachi asked when she heard the unusual—or not seeing as it concerned Madara—request.

Misaka smiled hesitantly, turning slightly to avoid Madara's piercing gaze; she knew he could lip-read easily and she didn't want him to know what she was talking about.

"It's smart to stay away from him, little cousin," she said, petting her infant daughter's head, the baby gurgling in contentment once she had her fill and Misaka passed the baby to Itachi. The clan heiress studied the infant she figured was her second cousin. "It's no good to associate yourself with him."

"He's our Sou-sofu," Itachi responded a matter-of-factly. "Show respect."

Misaka shot her smaller cousin a strange glance; already, at such a young she held a commanding aura, Misaka and the rest of the clan had no doubts Itachi would grow up into a magnificent shinobi someday.

"I know," the older woman said, cradling the Senju infant in her arms. "But he's a bad influence to you and every Uchiha child," she added the last part quietly, not bothering to hide her contempt towards their shared ancestor.

Her tone and face told Itachi that she didn't want to speak of it any further. Out of respect, Itachi backed down, glancing at her great-grandfather. She felt overwhelming sympathy for the man, seeing his emaciated, old and lonely visage. She glanced, once again, at her friend's younger brother that he'd left for her to look after.

"He's not crying anymore," she remarked softly, wondering if she can go back to her great-grandfather now. It felt like betrayal, to be standing so far from him. "Is he full now?"

Misaka chuckled, detaching the baby from her and smiling fondly—she did have a soft spot for children after all—before she handed the baby back to Itachi. "He's fallen asleep, too full I suppose. Careful not to jostle him—Ita—Itachi? Wait, where are you going?"

Itachi came to a stop before Madara, crouching to be at the same level at the old man's seated form.

"He's stopped crying now," she said unnecessarily, softly as she settled down in front of him, taking all of the stares directed their way and ignoring the murmurs that followed.

"Hn... what are you doing here?"

"I'm with you all the way," Itachi said, paused, then decided that a small smile would get her point nicely.

**-sleeping butterfly-**

Uchiha Fugaku gazed at the destruction laid bare before him.

He didn't even have the energy to grimace or frown or even scowl anymore. As he cradled his infant daughter—unlike when Itachi was born to be clan heir, where he was hoping for a boy the next time, there was no such hope anymore—to his chest, he stumbled along the path to the hospital, trying in vain to shield the inhuman features of his daughter.

People, ninja and civvies alike stared at the small fox tail and the twin fox ears peeking out from the bundle in his arms. The stares of contempt and murderous looks forced Fugaku to quicken his pace to the hospital, mindful to send his most trusted bodyguards to watch after the nurses and doctors as they treated the clan head's second daughter.

Fugaku massaged the ache forming behind his eyes.

"Where's my oldest daughter? Bring her to me," he said tiredly to the closest Uchiha to him. "Bring Minato's son as well, I need to talk to him." Uchiha Kaname nodded obediently and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

While he waited for the arrival of his daughter and godson, the Uchiha clan head hovered threateningly outside the room where the Uchiha twins, Kyo and Kai, were glowering at the nurse for her 'accidentally losing her grip on the Jinchuriki' mistake and were careful to stop her if she tried something again.

Fugaku hadn't seen it happen but he was sure to let that bitch know what was coming her way when anyone tried to harm his kids.

"_Otou-san_?"

"_Oji-san_?"

The Uchiha turned, then he had to glance down at the five-year-olds, wandering momentarily what on earth these brats were doing here before he recalled that he had important matters to tell them. Fugaku tried, he really did, to break it on them as sympathetically as possible, but seeing as how he only managed to open his mouth and close it without any words spoken, Fugaku scrambled for his shinobi mask.

Trying to tell them what they needed to know, as if he was reciting a boring and simple mission report was easier.

"The Kyuubi attack tonight has many casualties," he droned on, uncaring of the confused looks he got; his older relatives were staring at him blankly for speaking so flatly to his own kids. "Namikaze-Senju Minato, the Yondaime, Uzumaki Kushina and..." he swallowed. "and Uchiha Mikoto are one of them."

Senju Menma blinked.

"What's casualty?"

"Death," To their utmost surprise, it was his daughter who answered. Itachi was staring up at him, her face devoid of emotion; it reminded Fugaku of the Itachi from a few months ago, his small daughter who'd been a living-zombie after she made her first kill, back when the Iwa war was still fucking ongoing. It had been Madara (of all people) who managed to make her express herself and Mikoto had found their daughter crying in the old man's lap.

"Mom... Oji- Yondaime-sama and his wife are dead, all of them are," Itachi murmured, she blinked, as if she herself had a hard time comprehending what she'd just said. Fugaku winced when he saw the fleeting expression of grief then it was stored away by the infamous shinobi mask—it was a tragedy for a child her age to learn such a skill when she was so young.

Itachi stared at the bundle in his arms, her eyes so lackluster Fugaku was starting to get worried. He would've preferred to her to be like Menma instead; the Senju brat refused to accept that his parents were dead and was now being dragged away by the Uchiha, kicking and screaming as he demanded to see his parents.

Little Naruto was sleeping soundly, unaware of his new orphan status in the arms of one of the female Uchiha warriors.

"What's that?" she asked quietly, and Fugaku recognized the desperate gleam in her eyes. The desperate need to find something to distract her from losing it.

Fugaku was, understandably, concerned. He really didn't need anymore of this shit. First, his beloved wife (even though he never expressed it much, he loved her, he knew he did) was dead, his best-friend—ironic how he'd only admit it when the man—was dead, his oldest daughter was unresponsive, in shock, and his youngest daughter was... was a monster...

_Nononono_**no**— Uchiha Sasuki was no monster. She was his daughter, even though she was a vessel. Fugaku's eyes dropped back down to where his daughter slept, nestled in his arms. Results of the faulty seal was seen in the form of foxy black ears, tipped white, peeking out from beneath the bundle. And one, lone and small tail swished even in sleep, restless and moving. Fugaku wondered what his infant daughter was dreaming about, was the Kyubi killing her from within? Corrupting her soul already?

He wished he was a seal master, then he wouldn't have had to worry his head off with the matter of the seal; will it hold? What if it burst? What if the monster was freed? What if his daughter died and _oh kami the monster_ _was freed_?

In his hold, the infant shifted, blinking crimson eyes (this was not natural, along with the slits, will she have the Sharingan at all?). Fugaku glanced at Itachi who's attention had fallen on them once her younger sister started to make a noise. Fugaku wondered what his daughter was thinking when she saw the totally inhuman tail and ears. Hesitating—which was something he rarely ever did—he crouched to his daughter's level, presenting the bundle to the unresponsive girl.

"Itami"—the girlish nickname Mikoto had bestowed her oldest daughter sparked something in the girl's eyes but her face remained apathetic—"this is your sister, you'll be a big sister. You'll protect her with your life and love her, won't you?"

Sasuki shifted in his hold, eyes squeezing shut before reopening them again to the world, revealing crimson eyes to those present. Her chubby little fists clenched and unclenched, reaching towards the hesitant Itachi.

And for the first time since the Kyubi's attack, his daughter smiled. A heartbreaking smile, tragic but beautiful as she reached over and clasped her baby sister's hand.

"I'll love you forever."

Because the baby was the only thing her mother had left. Protecting this strange, fey baby was the only way to protect her mother's legacy and last memory.

It did nothing to ease the pain in her chest.

**-sleeping butterfly-**

* * *

**Author's Note:**  
This A/N will be quite long—in my opinion—but it's to clear a few things up. Firstly, I'm** rewriting** this story (the most obvious changes is Itachi, well, FEM!ITACHI to be precise). Yes, I've cut away the first chapter to make amends and hopefully, this will not bother anyone.

Is the name Itachi too masculine? Well, the shortened form of Itachi in this fic is Itami (more feminine don't you agree?)/

Another new story, second to Full Circle in the poll—which is still ongoing. Yes, rather short for prologue, but I'm confident that the next chapter will make up for it.

This is severely AU, just a warning and in case you still don't know, Menma is _**NOT an OC**_, but a character from a movie. He is Naruto's counterpart and he is basically made out to be a more menacing version than Naruto. This is based off entirely from his possessed state—the state he is in for the whole of the movie so we can't actually make out what sort of person he is in his own world, in his own mind.

Also, if any of the characters seem OOC, do note that this is AU and the reason will be explained later (either by this fic being an AU or there's a solid event behind their attitude, feel free to make the speculations, readers, until I reveal them).

Hope that clears up a few questions. If you still have something to ask, don't be shy to do so.

**QUESTION:** What pairing do you wish to read in this fic (other than the obvious)?

As always, **reviews** are appreciated, so...

**REVIEW!**


End file.
